Battle Lovers meet! Ahatake Kurosaki vs Kenpachi Zaraki!
Killing time Blood splattered the ground as the blade cut into the neck of a giant Hollow. It screamed as it faded away, and the young man who had killed it landed lightly on his feet. He was not wearing his usual suit, and had instead changed his attire to a White Shihashuko, to blend in easier in the Rukongai. This man was Ahatake Kurosaki. He had traveled to the Rukongai from the Yūrei Ōkoku on his wife's suggestion. She had told him that being there for about a week would be a good way to kill some of his stress. She had been right. Ahatake swung his blade around at another Hollow, this time a Gillian, who had appeared behind him, killing it instantly. And at the same time, a similar slaughter was taking place. Only it wasn't for relieving stress. It was for sport. Kenpachi Zaraki, former Captain of the 11th Division, unofficial Hunter Hollow, slung his sword blade several times to sling the blood off of it. As he balanced the black of his blade across his shoulder, he looked on in boredom at the final Adjuchas falling to its demise. Gah, it wasn't much fun as it was in the Gotei 13... back then, he had much stronger opponents to choose from... Byakuya Kuchiki... Ichigo Kurosaki.... Nnoitra Gilga... he had never seen the likes of any of them again. Now he was stuck as small fry such as these... why did he ever decide to leave the Gotei 13? Oh, that's right. Snorting, he re-sheathed his blade and looked into the direction of where he had came. All around him, there were several Adjuchas corpses, victims of his sword. On a side note, he only attacked Arrancar that wanted to personally fight him, due to the fact that some would rather just stick back and watch. They were the sophisticated ones of Hueco Mundo... it was a shame that they had to be strong ones. Being a wanderer sucked ass... leaving the corpses behind, he took off once more, searching for stronger prey. Ahatake's ducked a swipe by an Adjuchas-level Menos and slammed his blade into it's face, killing it instantly. That slash let up a thin energy pillar that lasted only second as Ahatake moved for his next kill, blood dripping from his blade. "Eh?" The sudden twinge made Kenpachi stop in his tracks, his uncovered eye widening slightly. It had lasted only for a second... but he had just sensed an oddity. Deciding to change direction, he did a right face step and ran in the direction of where he had sensed it. Whatever it had been... it was definitely different from the Adjuchas he had been killing. A closed smile came across his face, a testament of his anticipation. Who was he going to face down this time? Gripping the next Hollow by the throat, Ahatake twitched his hand every so slightly and a loud crack was heard. The Hollow's body went limp as Ahatake cut it in half. He was getting bored, and needed someone stronger to fight. He wouldn't need to wait very long to get his wish. Kenpachi's presence made itself known via fear. His spiritual influence was intensifying as he approached, and Ahatake's vision was similar to that of a TV breaking up. All around him, mental apparitions surrounded him, enveloped his body, and clawed at him viciously as if attempting to drag him down into the pits of the sands under his feet. They roared fiercely, screams echoing throughout his targets' ears. Under the influence, other Adjuchas that were in the area collapsed and split apart, unable to cope with the immense energy. Then... a sword stabbed through Ahatake's chest, pain shooting through his body... ...before it all dissipated, back into normal. And Kenpachi was standing a distance behind him, a toothy grin on his face. Had it been used against anyone else, it would have had great effect. On Ahatake though, it did nothing more than make his eye twitch as he turned to look at the one responsible. "And who the hell are you?" Ahatake asked, interested at the man's high energy. For a moment, Kenpachi allowed his mouth to curl into a thoughtful frown. It was such an easy answer - however, he decided to a bit more figurative. This man was capable of withstanding his spiritual pressure... while the rest of them collapsed. "Think you've got enough time to ask about that? I thought it'd be pretty obvious who I am..." He spoke. "As of this moment..." His hand gripped the hilt of his sheathed sword. "...your enemy!" Then, without warning, he lunged, unsheathing his blade in one quick and swift motion akin to the 11th Division's swordsmanship. His uppercut swing, regardless of whether it hit or not, would create a small, but powerful fissure - a hint of his actual strength. Ahatake had already moved, and was standing some ways behind Kenpachi, his eyes were on the damage Kenpachi had done to the ground. He grinned. "This may turn out to be more intering than I thought." He said. "So you say you're my enemy?" He raised his blade. "Then let's get this show on the road!" He said, charging at Kenpachi, his blade raised. He swung it down, aiming for Kenpachi's head. Immediately, Kenpachi turned around, raising his blade up in a horizontal manner in order to allow the blade to clash upon it. For a moment, he struggled into a sword lock... good reaction... good timing... and excellent strength. Grinning ferally again, he pushed Ahatake's blade away and swung down diagonally in one fluid motion. Ahatake let his own grin cross his face as he swung his blade across him to meet Kenpachi's, sparks flying. They were caught in a sword lock once again, but Ahatake was putting his own strength behind his blade to avoid being deflected like last time. This time, however, Kenpachi allowed himself to falter, Ahatake's blade pushing his own back as soon as they collided once more. His blade tilted to a vertical position, moving behind Ahatake's guard and making way for his chest. It was a movement that displayed his excellent swordsmanship - despite his looks, he was definitely no Neanderthal with a club, after all. "Oh no you don't." Ahatake said, gripping Kenpachi's blade before it connected with his chest, and tugged, pulling Kenpachi in with a great display of his own strength. He raised his own blade, the tip pointed at Kenpachi's face. "Appréciez svp." He said and thrust the blade forward. "What the hell was that?" For a brief moment, the former Captain was dumbfounded at the choice of words. Why the hell was he speaking such gibberish? If the guy was trying to taunt him, at least speak something better than that! However, he didn't question on it. Instead, he swung his caught blade, its jagged edge tearing through Ahatake's hand. It collided with the side of Ahatake's oncoming blade, forcing it away from him once again. "And that... don't disappoint me, pal..." He warned tauntingly. Then, he twisted the blade around again without hesitation, aiming to slice through Ahatake's chest once more. The wound in Ahatake's hand healed instantly, and he pressed the other hand to the flat side of Kenpachi's blade, forcing it down as he jumped up. "Disappoint you?" Ahatake asked. "You're the one disappointing me. Now. Let's see how this strikes you." He pointed a finger at Kenpachi. "Cero." He let loose the condensed beam of red energy from his finger tip. Kenpachi's free hand was outstretched to greet the Cero head-on. As he had done all of those years before with Nnoitra, the energy was caught in his hands. Like a ball, he tossed it behind him, hand smoking from the intense friction being caused. "Not very well!" He remarked, readying his blade once more. "Can't say I didn't expect that." Ahatake said, frowning. He descended. "Before we continue Shinigami, what is your name?" He had proven himself strong enough. Kenpachi once again balanced the back of his blade on his shoulder, smirking at Ahatake. "Former 11th Division captain... Zaraki Kenpachi." He stated. "And you?" "Ahatake Kurosaki." The man said, his blade on his shoulder. "So. You're Zaraki Kenpachi." He grinned wider. "I know about you." He raised his blade. "Come Zaraki! Time for the killing you love so much!" Ahatake took off at Zaraki with a Shunpo, his blade wrapped in his flames. "Right back at ya... Kurosaki!" With that, Kenpachi charged, sword taken off of his shoulder with a flick of his wrist. Yes, this one would definitely be a challenge. He would enjoy giving his strength to him! With a raise of his own blade, he swung down upon Ahatake, resulting in an explosion of energy that caused the sands to erupt into a geyser around them. However, in the midst of it, a distance away and on one of the destroyed towers nearby, a female Arrancar was standing, hands in her pockets, and half-lidded eyes watching the fight below. More particularly, her eyes were on the former Captain as he duked it out against the other man. Behind her appeared a man, hands folded behind his back, and a rather non-chalant smile on his face. "My, my..." He commented, the slight winds pushing him back a little. "They're sure going at it down there... are you sure there'll actually be something left to salvage?" "There better be..." The woman muttered, frowning lopsidedly. "I didn't come all the way out here just for a corpse." Ahatake grinned and let one of his hands go from his sword. It glew red. "Cero." He called the attacks name, but no beam shot forth. Instead Ahatake's fist rocketed towards Kenpachi. Kenpachi's hand once again shot out, his palm acting like a wall against the hidden energy. As the red orb collided with him, the energy dissipated upon contact, making a hiss sound as it faded into nothing. Not letting go of that fist, Kenpachi yanked Ahatake up and towards him. "That itches!" He declared, bringing that arm straight downward. His opponent was sent plowing into the ground, kicking up great sand waves under the both of them. Letting go, he raised upward and swung down, blade threatening to split the prostrate Ahatake down the middle. "I'd take your hand off your blade, Zaraki Kenpachi." Ahatake said. "Unless you wish to lose it." Black flames erupted in front of Ahatake and latched onto Kenpachi's blade, flowing up towards his hand. As a precaution, he made the flames near his body slightly solid, something not normally possible. "Huh?" This made Kenpachi take a few steps back, quirking an eyebrow at the flames. A normal person would've simply panicked, dropping the sword right where it was and jumped back. However, Kenpachi wasn't one of those people. Instead, he scoffed, raising his flaming blade up into the air. He summoned his immense power to it, forcefully quelling the flames with the reiatsu. Then, he slammed his blade tip down onto the ground, unleashing a yellow torrent upon the fallen man. He would have little time to do anything... "Oh damn, that's gonna hurt." Ahatake said before the yellow blast of energy hit him. It created a slight explosion and a pillar of light erupted. The light cleared soon, and Ahatake was standing up, crumbling white flakes of something that looked like bone were falling from his face. His eyes were black and yellow but quickly returned to normal. "Damn." He muttered. "That would have killed me if I hadn't reacted right." "Impressive..." Kenpachi remarked, grinning in satisfaction. "You summoned that mask just in the nick of time..." He was a very sharp and insightful man, after all - things such as that didn't go by him, especially in the heat of battle. The male observer could only look on in surprise at the remnants of the mask as they dissipated. "Good timing..." He remarked, looking over towards the woman. "Are you certain he cannot be used, too?" However, the woman merely shook her head, placing her hands in her pants pockets. "No." She answered, eyes still gazing upon the two fighters. "A pure Shinigami such as him would display the ties that this new society would have with the Seireitei. A hybrid won't be able to fulfill that purpose." Ahatake took off towards Kenpachi again, running along the ground easily and gripped his blade. As he neared Kenpachi, he swung it upward, the sword flashing ever so slightly. Kenpachi's met it once again in a furious clash, and once again they were in a sword lock, but instead of a grin, a frown once again crossed his face. "What're you afraid of?" He asked calmly, in a slightly disappointed tone... well, as disappointed as Zaraki Kenpachi could get. "You're still holding back. Isn't it about time you showed me your Bankai?" With that, he promptly shoved Ahatake away from him, lowering his sword for a moment. "Bankai? Now what would be the point in that?" Ahatake asked, tilting his neck to the side. "But, I will at least use my Shikai." He gripped his blade. "Feel your body’s muscles, and its roar, Feel your heart beat as you soar and dive, Feel the control to work the magic, Feel the emotion, love and anger, Ryūseiga." His blade was enveloped in flames for a brief second, changing from a Katana to a jian. Getting serious "Shōryūha." Ahatake said, and a large, electric blue dragon form behind him, and the whole area was given a blue glow. Kenpachi stared on, his eye narrowing skeptically. "What do you mean, What would be the point?" He countered, swinging his blade up and down to the side in order to get a feel for his own strength. Yep... he was still fine... "You shouldn't need a point to go all out when your life is in danger!" A toothy grin crossed his face. "And all that first release is doing is sharpenin' my blade for me..." He held it horizontally in front of him, spiritual pressure building around him. "If you want to charge me using only a Shikai, then go on ahead. But do live long enough for me to get a bit more pumped up! I'm counting on you...Kurosaki." Ahatake grinned. "Sharpenin' your blade eh? I've been meanin' to ask, did you ever get any communication with that blade of yours? I heard you have no bond with your Zanpakutō whatsoever." "Donno why in the hell you would want to ask that..." Kenpachi muttered. "But you'd be right. My Zanpakutō isn't something I bother to communicate with. The many times I do, he must be a deaf bastard. Can't hear a thing I'm saying to it..." Seeing as Ahatake wasn't going to attack him, he lowered the blade once more. "I see." Ahatake said. He disappeared with Shunpo, reappearing behind Zaraki. Gripping his blade with both hands, he swung it down at Zaraki, aiming not for his head but for his right arm. Once again, Kenpachi turned himself accordingly, meeting Ahatake's blade head-on with his own, jagged, and murderous weapon. "Why'd you even bother to ask such a pointless question? I thought you said you knew me!" He reminded, his spiritual pressure rising to the surface with a murderous intent once more. "Apparently, that's where the talk starts!" With that, he forced Ahatake's blade away, attacking the Kurosaki with a flurry of powerful strikes. Ahatake gripped his blade and swung it at Kenpachi's, blocking each and every strike of the ex-captain's. "You want me to use Bankai, yet you're not anywhere close to overpowering me Zaraki. 'Course there's always that eyepatch." He said, slamming his blade back onto Kenpachi's. Then he saw to small shards of metal fly off. Both blades had cut into the other. SLASH! That was when Kenpachi took that as an opportunity. Using his force, he pressed against the stationary blade with all of his force, cutting Ahatake's own sword in two. The other half fell to the ground. In that one swift motion, Kenpachi had delivered a deep gash through Ahatake's chest, nearly enough to tear his chest cavity wide open. "What a joke..." He murmured. "It's that very thing that gets people killed in fighting. Once they get a feel of it, they're all "If I keep this up and stay calm, I can win". But that just lets down their guard. I warned you not to hold back... but I guess warning people doesn't do shit anymore..." "Though... he ''did manage to screw up my blade a little..."'' He thought to himself, seeing the damage even through the blood stains. However, Ahatake's spiritual energy became dark and heavy. The blood flow stopped and Ahatake's figure began to stand again, his Hollow Mask full on his face and his wound healed, a scar where the wound had been. But Ahatake vanished, and a gash appeared on Kenpachi's chest this time. "The table is set." Ahatake said, glaring at the wound. "NOW LET US BEGIN!" He charged at Kenpachi, his blade restored by flames. Kenpachi's eyes widened in shock, before the feral grin came across his face. "Excellent reiatsu!" He exclaimed, despite the gash that was on his chest. Bah... he had worse. "Let's see how stronger you are!" With that, he charged once again, determined not to hold back on Ahatake. His blade once again collided with Ahatake's in ferocious combat, sparks erupting between the two blades as they struggled against each other. Ahatake began applying as much strength as possible, pushing Kenpachi back. Ahatake opened his mouth, and let loose a Cero instantly. With each and every strike, Kenpachi was beginning to get even more excited, showing eye widening, and his grin widening. More and more deep gashes were delivered to him, tearing through his flesh quite easily thanks to the Hollow-enhanced strength. He laughed insanely, the sounds reverberating throughout the battle area, even as the Cero approached him. "Hell yeah!!!" He shouted, raising his sword upwards. His blade ended up cutting through it, the two halves gliding past him harmlessly. Ahatake had appeared in front of Kenpachi when the Cero's light faded. He had used it as a distraction. He swung his flaming blade up at Kenpachi, but he didn't aiming for a body part. He aimed for the eye patch. Kenpachi managed to slip his head side... but the patch was caught by the flames. Immediately, it was incinerated in the blast... and the barrier restricting his power was removed. He, however, didn't seem to notice his glowing aura that was growing by the second. With Ahatake so close, it would be virtually impossible to escape the destruction that was about to be caused. Without hesitation, Kenpachi swung down... ...and his blow caused a shockwave to erupt. A yellow sphere that was the explosion extended outwards in a large radius consuming everything within and reducing buildings and other structure to nothing but ash. Such was the potency of Kenpachi's unrestrained power... and Ahatake made the mistake of releasing it. When the blow had connected it had connected with the remainder of Ahatake's blade and not the man himself. As the energy sphere faded, Ahatake was standing, bleeding on various places, and his kosode having been burned off. His Hakama was all that remained, and his sword was only a hilt, the blade now entirely flames. His Hollow Mask, surprisingly, was intact. "That's more like it." Ahatake said, not at all surprised by Kenpachi's immense power or fazed much by his own wounds. "This is the power I want to fight. And defeat." Kenpachi didn't grace him with a response. Instead, he replied with his actions. Leaping at Ahatake, he swung downwards, his full power being released upon his opponent. There was no need to hold back anymore - he wanted to get this thing rolling! He wanted to see how far the Kurosaki could go under the assault. Ahatake swing his blade up at Kenpachi's. His blade was completely made of flames. Perhaps it could cut Kenpachi's in half, and ensure him easy victory. It had the potential of working. The flames seemed hot enough. One blow would possibly be enough to deal with the man and stop the battle quite early. However, that proved to be also its major weakness. Since the blade was made completely of flames, it possessed practically no defense and only offensive power. That was where Kenpachi's blade, coupled with his physical strength, held an advantage. The blade phased right through the flames, slicing through Ahatake's chest and nearly severing him into two parts. But Kenpachi didn't stop, continuing to hack mercilessly away at his opponent. However, Ahatake began to glow and completely faded. It had been a doppleganger of flame. "Extend." Came Ahatake's voice from a few feet behind Kenpachi and his blade of flame shot out, extending to pierce Kenpachi like a spear. Kenpachi whirled around immediately, swinging his sword and unleashing a burst of spiritual pressure once more. It was enough to blow away both the smoke and Ahatake back, sending him several meters away from Kenpachi. Calmly, the former captain turned away and held his sword defensively. "I told ya, don't disappoint me, pal!" He reminded, leveling the blade up to point at where Ahatake had crashed. "Ban. Kai!" Obsessions beyond the slaughter "BAN KAI!" Ahatake cried, and a large pillar of dark flame shot up into the air, his reiatsu skyrocketing. A satisfied grin came across Kenpachi's face once more, and he lowered the blade as the reiatsu came to him. "That's better..." He said, waiting as he watched the transformation take place. Ah, such excellent reiatsu! Now he was certain the boy would not disappoint him. When the reiatsu pillar cleared, Ahatake's blade had regained it's jian state, but Ahatake had donned a long, scaled cloak, and Ryū was towering over the area. Ahatake's reiatsu itself was immense due to his Hollow Mask being on. "Ready for the pain?" "You bug me..." Kenpachi said immediately, though he still kept on that rather malevolent grin. "You still think you have time to chat?" With that, he lowered his blade into a frontward uppercut position before swinging. A yellow fissure of energy came racing towards Ahatake's person. Ahatake flicked his sword and the dragon flew down to take the blast. The energy hit it's hide and left a small imprint but nothing more. "Ryū, blast 'im." Ahatake said, and the dragon opened it's mouth, letting loose a blast of reishi, which tore into the already torn up ground as it raced towards Kenpachi. Blade raised over his head, Kenpachi once again swung down in order to greet the blast head-on, exploding it upon contact. He could feel the energy enclose him, wiping itself among contact with his own reiatsu... and every bit of it felt great! He lunged at Ahatake, ready to do the same thing to the dragon that protected the man. Ahatake ordered the dragon out the way, and charged at Kenpachi, his blade gleaming. This was meant to be a fight between blades after all. Using Ryū to much would be doing Kenpachi a disservice. Ahatake swung his blade, aiming for Kenpachi's chest.